Gaming Report: Casino Giant Wynn to Open a 1,000-Room Resort in UAE, WPT Expands Distribution on fuboTV’s Fubo Sports Network & More

Gaming Report
  • Profile picture
  • Namita Ghosh January 28, 2022
  • 5 Minutes Read

Nevada-based casino giant Wynn Resorts has confirmed a multibillion-dollar deal with Ras al Khaimah, UAE, to open a 1,000-room luxury hotel in the region. The resort could be the first legal gaming venue in the Arabian Gulf.

In another major development, the World Poker Tour has entered a new distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network. The deal will give poker fans in the U.S. and Canada access to the WPT tournament coverage from almost any device.

In the U.S., trouble is brewing for the poker rooms in Dallas, where certificates of occupancy of several poker rooms have reportedly been revoked on the grounds of an alleged violation of the Texas Penal Code.

 

Ras al-Khaimah Seals Landmark Deal With Casino Giant Wynn Resorts

Hotel and casino giant Wynn Resorts has signed a multibillion-dollar deal to develop a “world-class hotel, entertainment, and gaming amenities” in Ras al-Khaimah, the United Arab Emirates. The announcement was made by the Nevada-based casino conglomerate on Tuesday.

“The newly announced integrated resort is still in its early design phase and due for completion by 2026,” a statement from Marjan, the Ras al-Khaimah developer involved in the deal, said. “These are all the details that can be provided at this stage.”

This development is unprecedented, given how UAE is considered a conservative country. An earlier statement from Ras al-Khaimah’s Tourism Development Authority stated they have created a new gaming division that would require “compliance with all applicable laws and regulations (including financial crime laws) from operators, suppliers, and employees.” It also would “ensure responsible gaming at all levels.”

“The development is the first beach resort being developed by Wynn Resorts globally,” WAM reported, adding, “The current scope includes a circa 1,000+ room hotel, high-end shopping mall, a state-of-the-art meeting, and convention facility, an exclusive spa, more than 10 restaurants, and lounges, a wide array of entertainment choices, a gaming area, and other amenities.”

The report quoted the project is expected to be completed by 2026 “to the highest standards of sustainability best practices.”

 

WPT Signs Distribution Agreement With fuboTV’s Fubo Sports Network

The World Poker Tour has entered a new distribution agreement with the free-to-consumer TV network Fubo Sports Network to expand the reach of its tournament coverage. As part of the deal, Fubo TV Network will broadcast WPT tournament coverage from Las Vegas, Paris, Barcelona, and other locations – all accessible for viewers from nearly all devices across the U.S. and Canada.

Poker fans will be able to watch the WPT footage of over 10 seasons as well as archived events from the WPT Main Tour.

In March 2019, the WPT entered a partnership with the OTT platform Unreel to launch WatchWPT, a free OTT streaming platform for poker fans and players.

Speaking on the partnership, Vice President of WPT Studios, Johnny McMahon, said, “The rich history of the World Poker Tour is something that we continually strive to share with all poker fans. With Fubo Sports Network, viewers can catch classic WPT action on fuboTV or on the many Fubo Sports Networks distribution partners, including Roku Channels, Samsung TV Plus, Vizio Channels, and more.”

WPT CEO Adam Pliska added, “We are eager to crack open the vault of WPT tournament history to share with the poker world. We are not stopping there. We will supplement with regular additions of new WPT tournament coverage from Season XX and beyond.”

Adam Pliska
Adam Pliska

 

Fubo Sports Network is fuboTV’s linear TV network that broadcasts sports stories on and off the field. The new partnership comes just as WPT Season XX has kicked off with the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open.

Elaborating on the deal, Head of Fubo Sports Network and original programming, Pamela Duckworth, commented – “We’re very excited to present select World Poker Tour matches to Fubo Sports Network audiences. Partners like the World Poker Tour help make Fubo Sports Network a leading destination for a wide range of sports and gaming content that bring the voice of the athlete to fans on and off the field.”

 

Texas Authorities Revoke Occupancy Permits of Several Dallas Poker Rooms

Several poker rooms in Dallas, Texas, have reportedly had their certificates of occupancy revoked recently. Over the last month, two poker rooms, namely, Texas Card House and Shuffle 214, were issued letters by the Dallas City officials stating that they were a “gambling place.”

According to the letter issued by the city attorney on behalf of the administration, the card rooms have been offering gambling by exploiting a loophole in Chapter 47 of the Texas Penal Code.

Leading the charge against the poker rooms is Dallas City Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn. In a social media post on Friday, Mendelsohn wrote – The City of Dallas’ building official has revoked the certificate of occupancy for all poker rooms. All can be appealed. The issue is poker rooms are illegal under Texas law. At some point, there will be a lawsuit, either the operator suing the city or the city suing the operator, or Texas will legalize gambling.”

It took over two years for the two poker room operators to obtain permits and approval for the Dallas’ city council and its Building division. The owners claim they had clearly mentioned the kind of business they would operate when securing the permits.

As the CEO and co-owner of Texas Card House, Ryan Crow clarified, “Even if you don’t know about poker, most people agree what they’re doing to us is just wrong. It’s unethical. When we moved in there, it was not in the cover of darkness, and we had their permission.”

The poker rooms have appealed the move, and the hearings will likely come up before the Board of Adjustments next month.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Top Online Poker Rooms

Top
PokerGuru